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LGP's Bandits Proceeds On Linux

Phoronix: LGP's Bandits Proceeds On Linux

At Linux Game Publishing, much of their attention as of late has been focused upon their port of X3: Reunion, which is Egosoft's successor to the (already Linux ported) X2: The Threat. However, outside of this space adventure title that shipped for Windows in 2005, Linux Game Publishing has also been working on a few other game ports, among which is Bandits: Phoenix Rising. The closed beta for Bandits: Phoenix Rising had started in January of 2007, but there was only one beta released and no further information from LGP on this game was released. Frankly, we forgot a Linux port was even being worked on. However, thirteen months later the second beta of this Linux port is now available to those in LGP's closed beta testing program.

Well, we get what we can manage to get the rights to. Unfortunately, in this case, the title in question developed an 11th hour bug that eluded the developers originally on the project. I think we've got that sorted out and I've got the mystery sound problem sorted out on PulseAudio (so there might be at least one other beta past this test pass as well- if there is it should be fairly soon after this one...).

I will make the additional observation that it's not an "old" game per se- it's only old on Windows. It's about to be a new Linux title.

price I can cope with, but... I don't really get their business plan.

Heh... It's based on what we can get rights to and what can we manage to port with the manpower we have on hand. In this case, I'm loathe to comment on why it's been this long in the making, but it's my expectation that it'll be out soon enough.

Furthermore...there's several things that you DON'T know about that're going to be cool that hasn't been announced yet (heh...we learned a little bit about when to or not to announce a title in progress from this and Ballistics, I think...) that should be getting announcements in the future. Cool stuff that's not quite so "old". >:-)

These kinds of remarks happen very often in this forum. I fear a Svartalf assault coming very shortly.

T'is the calm before the storm, indeed.

Wounded, I am... To think that you all would think I'd lay into someone over a comment like that

Heh... I can't say that I actually could hold him to task over this one, especially if you're just looking at the time Ballistics and Bandits took to actually get out the door from when we got the rights from Grin.

It's taken a bit longer than anyone over with LGP would have envisioned it to have taken- myself included. And I'll just leave it at that comment and go on.

My stance remains the same, more games means more options and ultimately helps the gaming scene.

Indeed. That's my take. Ultimately, I'd like to be out of the porting business- even native code ports are playing catch-up, even if they're the preferred way of getting the "catch-up" stuff. Ideally, I'd like to see companies doing Linux only titles or simultaneous releases of stuff. But it's not an ideal world for us, so we keep working at it. Thankfully, there's a couple of gems in progress that should be out in a more timely manner.

BTW, I didn't know about a beta test. I would have loved to try out this game.

Hm... I'd not been tracking the news or what LGP was doing proper during that time as I was off taking care of other business then. I guess we need to be a bit more active about announcements in the future.

Well, we get what we can manage to get the rights to. Unfortunately, in this case, the title in question developed an 11th hour bug that eluded the developers originally on the project. I think we've got that sorted out and I've got the mystery sound problem sorted out on PulseAudio (so there might be at least one other beta past this test pass as well- if there is it should be fairly soon after this one...).

So this was the game you were having problems with PulseAudio and its cut scenes, huh? Glad you were able to work it out! I'll have to go read some Windows reviews on this game, as I'm not familiar with it. The game play looks kind of funny (reminds me of Diddy Kong racing on the N64)

Edit

I'd understand if you couldn't talk about it if indeed such a project exists within LGP, Svartalf, but what would be GREAT for the Linux gaming scene is (as you already mentioned) an original title released exclusively (or at least primarily intended for) Linux from such a company as LGP. I know it is kind of difficult and the current state of affairs in the PC gaming scene are looking rather grim (when you see how big the console gaming scene actually is). Add to that the generally perceived "small user base" in Linux and hence highly risky business that means. An exclusive title may not prove all that profitable, unless is a "killer title" made exclusively or with "ports" to other platforms delayed (giving the Linux version an "edge"). Speaking of good games and Linux ports, maybe one company worth approaching for the quality titles they have released recently might be "Frictional Games". Their Penumbra series is amazing, they already have the first one ported over, with the second in the pipe, but for future projects it would be nice to have the backup of a company such as LGP for more Linux titles.

I'll also check out that Beta testers program you have going on at LGP, I'd be most interested on testing new titles out

So this was the game you were having problems with PulseAudio and its cut scenes, huh? Glad you were able to work it out! I'll have to go read some Windows reviews on this game, as I'm not familiar with it. The game play looks kind of funny (reminds me of Diddy Kong racing on the N64)

Yeah, it's the one that I fixed the one thing on it and then found the PulseAudio problem. Got a fix for that, but damned if the beta testers didn't find a few more obnoxious buglets for me to chase down. >:-)

(I'll be honest and say that I'd rather have the testers find a few more 11th hour bugs like this than have the user base as a whole find it the hard way like many Windows title studios go at this sort of thing...)

Think Mad Max meets Diddy Kong Racing with moderately real vehicle physics. That's not really a good accurate analogy, but it's better than any I can come up with without a Caffeine IV this morning...

The rendering is cel shaded. The scenery is post apocalyptic. The combat is fairly decent overall. The dialog's just a bit over the top corny (but that's what they intended, I believe...).

It's pretty playable overall- it leans more to the casual gaming side of things as an overall game, though, so keep that in mind. In a way, it's a shame that production problems delayed it a bit here.

Edit

I'd understand if you couldn't talk about it if indeed such a project exists within LGP, Svartalf, but what would be GREAT for the Linux gaming scene is (as you already mentioned) an original title released exclusively (or at least primarily intended for) Linux from such a company as LGP. I know it is kind of difficult and the current state of affairs in the PC gaming scene are looking rather grim (when you see how big the console gaming scene actually is). Add to that the generally perceived "small user base" in Linux and hence highly risky business that means. An exclusive title may not prove all that profitable, unless is a "killer title" made exclusively or with "ports" to other platforms delayed (giving the Linux version an "edge"). Speaking of good games and Linux ports, maybe one company worth approaching for the quality titles they have released recently might be "Frictional Games". Their Penumbra series is amazing, they already have the first one ported over, with the second in the pipe, but for future projects it would be nice to have the backup of a company such as LGP for more Linux titles.

I can't talk to current plans (Partly because I'm not privy to everything Michael Simms has in his head... Partly because I've not asked the man about some of my Ideas yet... ) but I can disclose that we had attempted to give infrastructure resources (i.e. CVS server, mail lists, web sites, etc...) to a studio for that purpose. The studio went belly up because they couldn't keep it together. Perhaps you heard of them: Angry Pixels. They literally dropped off the face of the earth sometime in 2003/2004. Now, having said this, does this mean we wouldn't try something like this again? No. I think we tried for something like that just a bit too early for us and I don't think the manner under which it was all established was a tenable situation. One of those hit-or-miss things.

Yeah, it's the one that I fixed the one thing on it and then found the PulseAudio problem. Got a fix for that, but damned if the beta testers didn't find a few more obnoxious buglets for me to chase down. >:-)

(I'll be honest and say that I'd rather have the testers find a few more 11th hour bugs like this than have the user base as a whole find it the hard way like many Windows title studios go at this sort of thing...)

Think Mad Max meets Diddy Kong Racing with moderately real vehicle physics. That's not really a good accurate analogy, but it's better than any I can come up with without a Caffeine IV this morning...

The rendering is cel shaded. The scenery is post apocalyptic. The combat is fairly decent overall. The dialog's just a bit over the top corny (but that's what they intended, I believe...).

It's pretty playable overall- it leans more to the casual gaming side of things as an overall game, though, so keep that in mind. In a way, it's a shame that production problems delayed it a bit here.

I'd be very interested to try out a demo. The screens are certainly intriguing.

Originally Posted by Svartalf

I can't talk to current plans (Partly because I'm not privy to everything Michael Simms has in his head... Partly because I've not asked the man about some of my Ideas yet... ) but I can disclose that we had attempted to give infrastructure resources (i.e. CVS server, mail lists, web sites, etc...) to a studio for that purpose. The studio went belly up because they couldn't keep it together. Perhaps you heard of them: Angry Pixels. They literally dropped off the face of the earth sometime in 2003/2004. Now, having said this, does this mean we wouldn't try something like this again? No. I think we tried for something like that just a bit too early for us and I don't think the manner under which it was all established was a tenable situation. One of those hit-or-miss things.

It's the first time I've heard of this but I generally agree that a Linux only killer app would work great. I also suggest a Steam-like Linux setup to cut down the cost of actually burning discs. I think digital transactions fit better the Linux mindset.

I've had some ideas boiling in my mind but, everyone has to be frank. It's a matter of having the balls to do it and a whole lot of other stuff on the side.